We Are Beautiful
by Asori
Summary: Behind every pair of human eyes is tragedy. That tragedy results in our pain, our brokenness. But even when we are broken, we are beautiful.


**AN: Hello everyone, Asori here. This one-shot was specially prompted by the amazing ABEDFANisRobbieShapiro, and I dedicate it to him and anyone out there who is fighting through depression - you are never alone. I recommend that you listen to _What If I Told You_ by Jason Walker, a wonderful song also requested by ABEDFANisRobbieShapiro. I hope you are touched by this :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Lab Rats_ or any of the characters, just the plot.**

* * *

Ocean spray laced the light morning wind, coating the rugged rock in a salty glaze. The cool water pooled in the dips and cracks of the stone, gently wiping away the rough texture.

Bree absentmindedly rubbed the rock with her thumb, ignoring the way it pressed into her skin and left behind a wet raiment. Her eyes were squinted, staring off into the great expanse that was the Pacific Ocean; even after as long as she had been on the island, the way that it went on and on beyond the horizon still took her breath away. It only further convinced her of how small she was and how insignificant she felt.

 _What am I to the ocean?_ she wondered, blinking her salt-dotted eyelashes. _For that matter, what am I to anyone?_

 _The world is like the ocean. Always shifting, turning. Sometimes it's warm and welcoming, but it can also be cold and cruel. When trouble arises like a storm, it has no qualms about rocking your world violently and ripping you away just to smash you on the jagged rocks._

Bree blinked again, this time swallowing back the burning of unshed tears. She felt so alone on the island, having no one she really connected with. She had no one to share her laughter with, no one to confide her deepest secrets in. So when the far-too-handsome Troy had come along and had shown her the attention she craved, she had been putty in his hands.

Oh, the way he had looked at her, that bright smile and his warm brown eyes… seeing those eyes stare at her with chilled loathing made her heart ache all over again. She now knew that he had been evil all along, but a part of her still wondered what she had done. Was it something she had said, did she make a serious mistake that drove him away? Was it that she was just not good enough?

 _That has to be what it is,_ she concluded. She always came to this conclusion, but she could never stop contemplating the problem. _It must be me – I mean, look what's happened with Sebastian, Jake, Owen, Ethan, and Kavin. They all ditched me, turned on me,_ hate me. _They must see something; they must all see it, and they all left._

She sucked in a shuddering breath, wiping away a stray tear. She closed her eyes as the breeze picked up and blew her hair back out of her face. _They aren't the only ones who see it,_ she realized. _Ever since we've moved to this island, I've felt so alone. The students treat me like an adult, but it's not like they respect me as an adult very much. They don't get close, and I can't seem to find a friend in any of them._

 _That leaves me with my family. Mr. Davenport and Douglas? Please, they're too busy making money. We're just their projects, the proof of their 'greatness'. And I don't really see Tasha anymore – she never visits_ us _, she visits_ Leo _. Shows how much she cares._

 _And my brothers. Even if the boys are total dopes, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't want their company sometimes. We almost never do anything together besides teaching and missions, and when we do actually hang out, we fight. They must think that I'm just their stupid sister, Bree._

 _Do they even love me? Does anyone love me?_

 _How could they? I'm just Bree._

* * *

The bright stars twinkled without a care in the heavens above, disappearing from view whenever a small puff of clouds drifted by. Glowing with them was the moon, laid low in the sky and only half-lit; the distant orb's mild light gently painted the water lapping for miles upon miles around, making the crisp air itself seem to shimmer.

Leo slowly cocked his head to the side, breathing in a long sigh. A breeze wafted over him from his right, and he pulled his knees closer to himself. It was always cool at this time of night.

He took another large breath, focusing on how it felt to let the air fill his lungs, to let his chest cavity expand and contract with every intake and exhale. The air seemed not to notice this happening; oblivious to the way its presence made life possible as it was sucked in before being expelled once more, it carried on mindlessly.

 _The air isn't all that's oblivious to me,_ Leo thought to himself despondently. _It seems that no one notices me, not unless I screw up._

 _Go away Leo. You're never useful, you just cause problems._

No one had actually said that, but Leo just knew that they were all thinking it. How could he be wrong when they gave him such awful looks of disgust and disappointment? He gulped back his hurt.

 _I'm even bionic now, but it's like that doesn't even matter. They still see me as a weakling, as a liability. Saving their lives countless times doesn't even make a difference._

 _Leo, you're not strong enough, you're not fast enough, you're not smart enough. Leo, you're not ready – you're not good enough._

Leo clenched his teeth, trying to squeeze away the pain. He felt like the baby they thought he was, but this time he wouldn't cry. He refused to let them be right.

 _But maybe they are right – what happened to Taylor… that was my fault. I pushed her too far, I hurt her. I just hurt everyone. I try not to, I really do, but in the end… in the end my world falls apart anyways. And it's all my fault._

 _Will I always be just a danger, a weakness, a nuisance? Is there anything I could ever do to prove myself?_

 _If they actually loved me, the answer would be yes._

 _But they don't. Nobody does._

 _What should I expect? I'm just Leo._

* * *

Bree slipped out of her capsule, watching Adam and Chase warily. Neither of them stirred as she padded out of the room, and as soon as she was in the halls, she let her breath out in relief. Every morning it was the same, and every morning she had yet to be caught.

Exiting the Academy, she cautiously stepped from rock to rock, trying not to slip off of their moist surface. Her face was turned downwards as her eyes quickly studied each future step. She did not see the dark figure sitting in the place she normally sought solace and solitude.

* * *

Morning came, and Leo awoke to find that he was still on the shore of the island where he had watched the stars shine in what seemed only mere minutes before. He must have fallen asleep in his misery.

At this point, he had been awake for a while, but he had remained frozen in place. His eyes stared off into the distance, unseeing and emotionless. His thoughts were empty, as he wished – if he didn't think about anything and simply kept his mind blank, he would not have to fight the urge to cry.

Why would he cry?

 _No, no, no!_ Leo thought desperately, but it was too late. That question had opened the floodgates to his roiling emotions in answer, and now he couldn't close them again. He did not hear the soft scraping of footsteps coming from behind him.

* * *

Bree paused as she heard a sniffle, and she glanced up to see Leo sitting in her spot. That spot was one of the few flat rocks in the outcrop, overlooking the windswept waves below. It was a special place – _her_ place.

A little spark of anger lit within her; while she had no wish to speak to anyone at the moment, she didn't want to give up her safe spot either. She was torn between kicking Leo out versus simply walking away before he noticed, but upon taking a moment to study him further, she lost the will to carry out either action.

A tear sparkled on Leo's cheek, and he sniffed again as he hurriedly wiped it away. He was hunched up, keeping his face downturned.

Bree's heart clenched. While she would still much rather not engage with anyone, much less comfort them, she knew pain when she saw it. This wasn't a physical pain that could be fixed with a night in a capsule, but an internal pain that only festered and sapped your strength, your will, your life. This was a pain that Bree knew all too well.

 _Leo feels this way?_ Bree wondered. _But I thought that I was the only one here who felt like this. What could be wrong?_

 _I should talk to him._

 _But you don't want to,_ a vehement voice whined. _He doesn't care about you; he won't care about what you say. There's something wrong with you, remember?_

 _But I… understand. I understand his pain. Maybe I can help._

 _Why should you help him? He wouldn't be there for you._

 _But he's my brother – even if he doesn't love me, I_ can't _stop loving him. That's why it hurts so much._ That's _why I have to help him._

With her resolve set, Bree stepped forward.

* * *

Leo jumped as he both felt and heard someone sit down next to him. He couldn't stop himself from looking to see who it was, and he quickly hid his face again, hoping she hadn't seen his tears. He worked so hard to remain strong, to carry on for the others, but now only for Bree to find him in the moment he broke down? Not cool.

He was surprised when only long silence ensued, but he didn't fight it. He was glad for it. The two of them sat as they were, Bree looking into the water that stretched to the horizon and Leo keeping his head turned from her. For how long they sat there was unknown, the gray clouds above hiding the movement of the time-keeping sun.

"What are you doing out here?" Leo croaked, finally breaking the heavy silence. He was not asking it in an accusing way; he was simply curious. How had she known where he was?

"You took my spot," Bree replied with a shrug. Neither of them made eye-contact with the other.

"Your spot?" Leo questioned.

She paused. "I… come out here every morning. To be alone."

He nodded absentmindedly, saying softly "I come out here every night, to be alone too. I guess I fell asleep last night."

"Why do you come out here?"

Leo slowly turned to look at her, contemplating whether he should tell her what was really going on. In studying her solemn features, he had the strong feeling that he should. "I feel like I don't really belong… that I can't ever prove myself. To you guys."

Bree swallowed, frowning. After a moment, she said "I come out here because I feel alone. Being alone out here where you're supposed to feel alone is better than being alone in a crowd of people."

"You feel alone?" Leo asked, his surprise evident.

She nodded, looking away.

"But you're the most social person – you've always been the popular one."

Bree heaved a shuddering sigh, and she turned to look back at Leo. Tears glistened in her eyes. "But they all ditch me, they all betray me. Even you guys ignore me; I'm always wondering what's wrong with me."

Leo was stunned by this confession, but the feelings she described were not foreign to him. Letting his personal pain and the hurt from what she had said seep into his voice, he whispered "I feel alone too. I feel like no one cares about me."

Bree looked at him sadly. "I _know_ no one loves me. It's obvious."

"Bree," Leo looked at her seriously, his expression set in shock. "That's not true; everyone loves you!"

"Really?" Bree asked vehemently. "Take a look around, Leo!"

He shook his head. " _I_ love you, Bree."

Bree could only stare at him for a long moment. "I love you too, you know that?" she rasped.

"No, I didn't," Leo said, studying his bare feet. "You're just saying that." He knew for a fact that he cared about the others, but he couldn't fathom how anyone could care for him in return. It just seemed impossible.

Bree looked as if she had been slapped. "I'm not lying – if I'm lying, then how can I trust that you actually love me?"

Leo looked back up to her, taken aback. He had meant it when he had told her that he loved her – how could she not see it?

 _How can_ I _not see that she loves me?_

He sucked in a shuddering breath. "I-I'm sorry, Bree."

She nodded, lifting a corner of her mouth half-heartedly before looking away. "I'm sorry too. I guess… I guess I'm just a…" she shook her head lightly "...just broken."

"We both are," Leo sighed. He was a little startled when he felt a comforting arm lay across his shoulders, but he didn't shrug it off; instead, he wrapped his own across her back and leaned into her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Leo, have you ever wondered what life would be like… if you weren't in it? I do. What if I had died on a mission? Would everyone be happier?" Bree thought aloud.

"I've… thought about it," Leo admitted. "I try to ignore it, to be a good person, but I can't help but feel that things would be better without me anyways."

A long silence encompassed them, only filled by the small crashes of the lazy waves on the rocks. A seagull squawked overhead, but neither of them minded it.

"Look at us," Bree finally murmured. "Sister and brother, both broken."

"Isn't that sad?" Leo added.

Bree let out a small laugh, saying "It's actually kind of beautiful."

"How?" he asked with a small frown.

"When I look into your eyes, I see tragedy, and I know that mine have a similar story. I thought I was the only one who felt like this, but I'm not. Isn't that kind of beautiful?"

"No," Leo snorted, and one look at his sister told him that she wasn't fooled – he _did_ actually agree with her. It was kind of beautiful – in a twisted sense – that even when they were hurting, there was someone they could share their pain with. They weren't alone. He sighed. "Even when we're broken, we are beautiful."


End file.
